Deal With Death
by Crazy-FullMetal-Girl
Summary: Different characters each deal with a different tragedy.
1. Chapter 1

Alphonse listened as a stranger said the words he had said thousands of times before, at each and every funeral.

As the man finished, Alphonse wiped his eyes. The people around him were all trying to hold back their tears, some only just managing to. Alphonse looked beside him, at the girl he had known all his life, then to his other side, at the person who knew him better than anyone else in the whole world. Those two would help him get through this. As he looked back at the men who were closing the coffin and stood up like all the others to lay a flower on it, he felt a hand on his shoulder and looked down to see the short blonde at his side managing a smile.

"Don't worry, Al," said the blonde, "we'll get through this together. Us and Winry."

Al nodded. "Yes," he murmured, "We will."

He placed his flower on the coffin and stood back, the tears breaking loose again.

As the grave was filled in, he managed a salute along with the military men who were there.

And when they were all gone except Winry and the blonde, he knelt down, shed a final tear, placed a flower on the grave, and stood up.

"Goodbye, brother," he said. "I'll never forget you. I promise."

He looked one last time at the grave, then at his mother's next to it.

Then he turned, took the hand of Winry and his short, blonde girlfriend, and walked away.


	2. Chapter 2

As she stood at the side of the bed, the starched white linen glaring in her face, Winry silently grieved.

_Why am I thinking like this? He's not even dead yet. _Her hand went to her head as she reprimanded herself.

_We don't even know that he's going to die. But we're basically condemning him, expecting him to die._

"Winry."

Winry gasped and looked up from her shoes, to the face resting on the pillow. The golden hair, the once golden eyes that had lost their brightness.

Ed's weak hand rose from the hospital sheets, falling into Winry's.

"You're crying. Don't cry. Please, Winry, don't cry."

Winry shook her head.

"I can't help it."

"But why are you crying? It's like you've lost hope."

She placed his hand back on the sheets, the tears coming again.

"You have my soul. If you die, my soul dies with you. Without a soul, I am nobody. I am nobody without you."

He raised a shaking finger, wiped the tears off her face.

"I'm not dead yet. Don't lose hope."

As she placed a final kiss on his face and turned to the door, she heard his voice again.

"Winry."

She turned.

"Yes?"

"Goodbye, Winry."

"Goodbye, Ed."

She turned, sobbing, and ran from the room. Behind her, two souls rose silently, invisibly, together forever.


	3. Chapter 3

Winry stood at the end of the grave.

_It's funny. I never thought it would ever be like this._

She brushed a lock of hair back from her face, resisting the strong breeze.

_Sometimes I wish I could turn back time... Undo what happened and put something different in its place. Rewrite my life. But then I remember everything happens for a reason. And it's not like they're all gone... _

She placed the flower she was holding on the grave and walked away, sending a silent kiss back to the epitaph on the stone.

**In Loving Memory of **

**Edward Elric**

**The Fullmetal Alchemist**

**1899-1920**

**Rest In Peace.**

_No. They're not all gone... My family is right here._


	4. Chapter 4

As he sat on the tree branch, watching someone else's future, Edward felt a strange mixture of loneliness, comfort, and a strong sense of belonging.

Watching Al's children playing on what had once been the ruins of his home.

Watching Winry's daughter learning the tricks of the Automail trade.

Watching Roy as the Fuhrer of the Military, achieving his ambitions. Watching Riza still working under him, as devoted as ever.

Watching it all, knowing that this could have been his future too.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, and twisted around.

"Hey Maes," he said, turning back to watch.

Maes sat down on the branch beside him.

"Could have been great, eh?"

They shared a grin.

At that point Winry came out of her house and walked over to the tree in which they sat. Ed's smile faltered and his expression grew wistful as she crouched under the branch they sat on, in front of the big slab of rock.

Winry's daughter came up next to her.

"What are you doing, Mum? Why do you come here every afternoon?"

Winry put an arm around her Ten-year-old daughter.

"So I can see him. I grew up with him, see. Uncle Ed."

"Who?"

"Uncle Alphonse's big brother."

"What about Alphonse?"

Al, who had come up behind them, picked up the girl and sat her on his strong shoulders.

"Yes. He's always here. His favourite place to sit."

After a moment, Alphonse, Winry and Winry's daughter smiled and walked away.

"See?"

Maes smiled fatherly.

"They're getting on okay."

Ed sighed.

"I guess they are. It's just that I need to feel wanted. I hate being unnecessary."

"They do want you. Why do you think you're here?"

Ed smiled.

"You're right."

He stood up and glanced downwards, at the stone slab that was his gravestone.

"Time to go."

He stepped off the branch and disappeared.


End file.
